School of Social and Political Science

Description

This research project examines a central paradox in Africa’s contemporary energy governance: why policies designed to promote green energy transitions can, in practice, reinforce state power to sustain oil extraction.

Focusing on Ghana, the study explores how governments publicly commit to net‑zero futures while simultaneously seeking new investments in fossil fuel development. This tension reveals the political dynamics shaping transition pathways in resource‑dependent economies. 

Using the UN Energy Compact framework and Ghana’s National Energy Transition Committee as a case study, the project analyses how global and national decarbonisation initiatives intersect with longstanding political and economic incentives tied to petroleum extraction. It highlights how oil‑producing states manage competing pressures around energy security, economic growth, and international climate obligations. 

The research draws on extensive archival work and field interviews with policymakers, regulators, civil society leaders, and industry representatives across Ghana’s oil and energy sectors. These sources illuminate the governance structures and stakeholder interests that shape national transition decisions. 

Two stakeholder workshops further refined the project’s findings: 

• The first, held on 22 April 2024, convened researchers and policymakers to map emerging actor networks and identify institutional barriers to Ghana’s net‑zero ambitions. 
• The second, held on 4 April 2025 in the Western Region, brought together policymakers, researchers, and energy companies to review preliminary results, explore regional perspectives, and propose practical reforms to strengthen transition governance. 

Together, these engagements underscored persistent tensions between green transition commitments and continuing investment in hydrocarbons. The project provides policy‑relevant insights for designing more coherent, inclusive, and sustainable energy pathways in Ghana and other oil‑producing states. Its findings also informed the organisation of the 2025 CAS Annual Conference, themed Climate Dynamics and the Politics of a Post‑Carbon Africa.